Colleges for a 4.0 GPA
colleges that accept a 4.0 grade point average
What is a 4.0 GPA?
A 4.0 GPA (Grade Point Average) is a numerical representation of your letter grades on a 4.0 scale. Your 4.0 GPA indicates you averaged A/A+ grades in your classes and have excellent performance. The percent equivalent of a 4.0 grade point average is 93-100% on the percentage grade scale. This means that you scored an average of 93-100% on tests and assignments. At most high schools and colleges, an A or A+ are both worth 4.0 grade points. A student with a 4.0 may have a mix of A+'s or A's. Any grade below an A, including an A-, will result in not achieving a 4.0. Learn more about what the A/A+ letter grade signifies.
Is a 4.0 GPA good?
A 4.0 is the highest possible GPA on the unweighted 4.0 scale and is far above the national high school average of 3.0. It indicates you've achieved straight A's throughout your high school career. Earning a 4.0 demonstrates exceptional academic performance an mastery of all of the classes you've taken. This outstanding achievement reflects a strong work ethic, dedication, and mastery of the subject matter. A 4.0 puts you in an excellent position for acceptance at the most selective colleges in the U.S including the Ivy League. A 4.0 GPA is also highly beneficial towards you chances in receiving a merit based scholarship.
What colleges can I get into with a 4.0 GPA?
Graduating with a high school GPA of 4.0 places you within of the academic range at colleges like Harvard University, Stanford University and University of Florida. Based on incoming freshman GPA data for U.S. schools, our analysis indicates that 290 colleges would consider your 4.0 GPA competitive. The most popular colleges, historically accepting students with GPAs within the range of 3.8 to 4.2 (4.0 +/- 0.2), are listed below. To view your chances of admission at each school, scroll down and explore the full list.
What is a perfect 4.0 GPA?
A 4.0 is considered "perfect" as it can only be earned if you earn all A's or A+'s in every class you take. If you get any A-'s or lower grades your GPA will drop below a 4.0 and can never be recovered to a 4.0. You cannot have a 4.0 with any B grades. This is true for the unweighted 4.0 grade scale. If using a weighted scale, it's possible to get a B+ in an AP class and still have a 4.0.
4.0 for Harvard and Ivy League
A 4.0 unweighted can definitely get you into Harvard or any Ivy League school. However you will need more than a perfect GPA to stand out. These elite colleges take a comprehensive look at at each applicant factoring in SAT, ACT, high school class load, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and essays. Competition is so intense that even a 4.0 usually doesn't cut it.
Here are the average GPAs and estimated chances for admission with a 4.0 at Ivy League and other prestigious colleges and universities.
- Harvard - 4.0 average GPA / 4.0% chance
- Princeton - 3.93 average GPA / 4.7% chance
- Yale - 3.95 average GPA / 5.6% chance
- Penn - 3.95 average GPA / 6.7% chance
- Dartmouth - 3.9 average GPA / 7.5% chance
- Brown - 3.94 average GPA / 6.8% chance
- Cornell - 3.9 average GPA / 11.1% chance
- Columbia - 3.91 average GPA / 4.9% chance
- Stanford - 3.96 average GPA / 4.4% chance
- MIT - 3.96 average GPA / 4.4% chance
- Caltech - 3.97 average GPA / 4.3% chance
Summa Cum Laude
The Latin phrase "summa cum laude" means "with highest honors" and is a distinction awarded to class graduates with the highest academic performance. The exact range for summa cum laude varies by college or high school but is generally between a 3.8 and 4.0 GPA. Thus a 4.0 GPA is typically eligible for the summa cum laude distinction.
Demographic Statistics
Let's examine how a 4.0 GPA stacks up to the national high school averages across various demographic groups
Gender
- Male: A 4.0 is 1 points (33%) higher than the average male student GPA of 3.0
- Female: A 4.0 is 0.8 points (24%) higher than the average female student GPA of 3.23
Race/ethnicity
- White: A 4.0 is 0.8 points (24%) higher than the average white student GPA of 3.23
- Black: A 4.0 is 1.2 points (41%) higher than the average black student GPA of 2.83
- Hispanic: A 4.0 is 1 points (36%) higher than the average Hispanic student GPA of 2.95
- Asian/Pacific Islander: A 4.0 is 0.6 points (18%) higher than the average Asian/Pacific Islander student GPA of 3.39
